Instant messaging (IM) systems, such as those provided by America-On-Line Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo Messenger, Lotus Sametime, etc., are widespread and utilized in personal and professional environments. Often, while using an IM system, a user may have multiple IM sessions that are simultaneously active. Unfortunately, the windows of the different IM sessions may be easily confused, and messages intended for one user may accidentally be typed into an IM session window associated with another user. Further, within a given IM session window, different threads, or topics, of communication may easily be confused, particularly in chat sessions having multiple users.
While some features of IM systems may potentially be utilized to distinguish IM session windows, these features are not designed for the specific purpose of inherently distinguishing IM sessions and threads, and confusion may still result, see, for example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0225846 to Heikes et al. Sametime, AIM, and other systems, allow a small bit-mapped user icon to appear in a portion of an IM session window. While this may enable unique user customization, it does not provide an implicit or effortless means by which to distinguish IM session windows. Regarding IM session threads, a user may choose the color, font, and font size of messages displayed in an IM session window. However, while this may allow advanced users to establish settings that potentially distinguish session messages, such settings and resulting algorithms are not applied implicitly or effortlessly.
A set of customizable mechanisms is needed that allows a user to effortlessly distinguish IM session windows. Additionally, a set of customizable mechanisms is also needed that allows a user to distinguish threads or topics within a given IM session.